Jo Eung-cheon: "Boycott of Arrest Consent? To Identify 'Subak'"

With the possibility high that a detention warrant for Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, will be requested during the next regular session of the National Assembly, there are talks among pro-Lee (친명, Chinmyeong) factions about boycotting the vote on the arrest consent motion. Regarding this, Cho Eung-cheon, a non-Lee (비명, Bimyeong) faction member of the Democratic Party, pointed out that it is "to identify watermelons." The term "watermelon" is a derogatory term for the non-Lee faction, meaning something that looks different on the outside than on the inside.

On the 24th, Cho said on MBC's "Kim Jong-bae's Focus" that "(the vote on the arrest consent motion) must be done unconditionally."

On the 26th, Cho Eung-cheon, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, attended the "Democratic Party Reflection and Innovation Continuous Forum" held at the National Assembly and presented on the topic "Reflection and Lessons from Five and a Half Years of Democratic Party Governance." Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

Prosecutors notified Lee Jae-myung of a summons on the 30th in connection with allegations of illegal remittances to North Korea by the Ssangbangwool Group, but Lee announced on the 24th that he would appear, leading to a standoff between the two sides. Analysts interpret the prosecutors' summons on the 30th as a strategic move to request a detention warrant during the session.

Cho also said, "There is only about a week left in the current recess. Even if it ends on the 25th, it is very difficult to do it during the recess, and it is actually very regrettable that time was wasted during the recess from August 1 to 15.

If a detention warrant is requested during the session, the National Assembly must vote on the arrest consent motion. Cho said, "We are in a checkmate. We are already under public distrust regarding the so-called 'bulletproof' issue. In June, our leader Lee declared the waiver of immunity from arrest, and other than putting that declaration into practice, we have no other options."

Some pro-Lee lawmakers, including Min Hyung-bae, argue that the arrest consent motion should be boycotted. They suggest not attending the vote and simply leaving. However, Cho said, "(If boycotted) the vote will be invalid, but that does not mean the issue is closed; if it is brought up again at the next plenary session, it will continue to be raised," adding, "it will continue to be raised until the end of the 21st National Assembly's term."

He even expressed suspicion that the pro-Lee faction's call for a boycott might be aimed at identifying the so-called "watermelon" non-Lee members. He pointed out, "(The boycott) aims to say 'All Democratic Party members stand up and leave,' but if there are members who do not leave and remain seated, those are watermelons, so they are identifying watermelons. It reminds me of the Edo period in Japan when Christians were identified by the 'Fumie' test, where they were forced to step on a cross, and hesitation meant execution. That kind of thing comes to mind."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.